


One Little Slip Up

by happyaspie



Series: Tony Stark is a Good Mentor [11]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Broken Bones, Clumsy Peter, Everyone Loves Peter Parker, Happy Really Does Like Peter, Helicopter Mentor Tony Stark, Hospitals, Hurt Peter, Hurt/Comfort, Surgery, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark is a Good Mentor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-06-02 15:37:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19444417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happyaspie/pseuds/happyaspie
Summary: Peter stays up late and ends up rushing to get ready for school.  It doesn't end well... but he has a whole set of adults in his life who are more than willing to comfort him.





	One Little Slip Up

May was out of town. That meant that Peter could patrol late into the night with no consequences. Or so he thought until sometime after one when Karen announced that he had an incoming call from Tony Stark. Grumbling under his breath, he paused on a rooftop just as the man pushed his call through. "Hey, Kid. I was just thinking about going to bed for once when I saw your vitals were up on the corner of a screen in the lab. Then, imagine my surprise when I took a look and saw that Spider-man was out and about at nearly two in the morning. You know, I couldn't come up with a single reason for you to be out this far past your curfew on a Thursday night. Care to help me out?"

"I lost track of time, Mr. Stark, really! I'm heading home alre--"

"--Lost track of time did you? That's funny because I _distinctly_ remember adding a protocol to your suit that's sole purpose was to remind you of your curfew and notify me if you were out more than ten minutes past it. Which I would also like to talk to you about seeing as I got no such notifications.", Tony said with a mixture of mock surprise and sarcasm before dropping to a more accusatory tone. "You've been _tampering with my code again_."

Visibly flinching at the allegation, Peter raised his hands in defense even though the man couldn't see them. "It's not like you think, Mr. St--"

"--Oh, I'm pretty sure it's exactly what I think.", Tony replied going back to the same amused sarcasm as before. "May's out of town so--

"--How did you know that? Did--", Peter interjected earning himself a glare.

"--Zip it, kid! She told me. Asked me to keep an eye on you.", Tony snapped before once again, evening out his tone. "Which I'm guessing she _didn't_ tell you about seeing as you thought you could slip something past both of us by _tampering with my code."_

"Okay, fine. I did, make a few _temporary_ adjustments.", Peter admitted. It wasn't like he was going to get out of this. "I was going to fix it all back though, sir. I just wanted some extra time. I never get to be out this late anymo--"

"--because you have school, kid! School first, Spidering second. Go home and go to bed.", the man stressed as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He was tired, yet instead of sleeping, he seemed to be stuck _playing parent_ to his young mentee.

"I'm already going. You can check if--", Peter called out even though he'd not taken more than two steps towards his apartment. 

"--Good. ...and tomorrow I'll be picking you _and your suit_ up after school so I can take a look at everything and see what other _temporary adjustments_ you've made."

"You don't have to do that--", Peter tried to plead but Tony was already cutting him off again. Something he was beginning to get used to. It seemed like no matter what they were talking about what Tony wanted to say always outranked whatever he wanted to say. Most of the time it didn't matter, however, when he was getting in trouble it would be nice to be able to finish a sentence once in a while. 

"--Oh but I do. You see I'm not getting yelled at, _again_ , by your aunt because you decided to do stupid things while she was out of town. You're spending the rest of the weekend with me, kid."

"I don't need a babysitter, Mr. Stark.", Peter grumbled under his breath as he shot a web towards the next building.

Tony rolled his eyes and his voice went flat as he replied. "You sneaking around and lying to my face says otherwise."

Knowing there was no use in arguing any further at the moment, Peter relented. "Fine."

"Good. Home. Sleep. See you after school. Good-night.", Tony spat back quickly before ending the call.

By the time Peter was crawling back into his window he was thoroughly annoyed. If he'd know that May had Tony _'keeping an eye on him'_ then he wouldn't have pushed his curfew quite _that_ far. Maybe just an hour or so. He still would have disabled the curfew protocol though. They were being really overly insistent about the whole 'in bed by eleven' thing. Well, May was at least. He was _pretty sure_ , Tony didn't actually care and just wanted to avoid having to listen to May rant. 

After grumpily chewing through a power bar, he opted to climb into bed without a shower. He could do that in the morning. Now, that the adrenalin was wearing off, he was a little tired but it wasn't like it was going to be that big of a deal. It was _one night_! ...and it was a _Friday._ He had all weekend to catch up on sleep. Those were the last thoughts going through his head before the blaring of his alarm was pulling him back into consciousness.

He must have been sleeping pretty hard because once he'd opened his eyes to look at the clock, it seemed that the thing has been persistently buzzing for the last twenty minutes. "Great.", he grumbled to himself as he climbed out of bed. Tried to anyway. His sheet was tangled around his leg leading to him to fall out of bed more so than climbing. Once he'd righted himself, he growled at his own clumsiness and grabbed the first clean clothes he could get his hands on. 

Rushing into the bathroom, he managed to hit his shoulder on the door frame. Blaming his clumsiness on the lack of sleep he tried to rub out the sore spot while quickly shedding his pajamas and getting ready to shower. He'd skipped it the night before, he couldn't very well skip it again. The warm water only seemed to make him more groggy as he stood there leaning his head against the back wall, allowing the water to spray onto his back. 

After realizing that he may have been standing there a few minutes too long, he groaned and shut off the water. Having forgotten to pull out a towel beforehand he dripped water all over the floor on his way to retrieve one from under the sink. He patted himself dry and started to dress. Once he had his shirt and boxers in place he picked up his watch up off the counter to check the time. Seven o'clock. School started in half an hour and he wasn't even dressed yet. Cursing, he grabbed his pants and started to pull them while simultaneously dashing across the bathroom. 

In his haste, one of his feet got caught in the hem of jeans causing him to stumble. In theory, he should have been able to right himself with his near perfect balance or at minimum stick himself to the floor but neither of those things happened. Instead, he started to fall forwards and as he went to catch himself, his other foot slipped on the water that was still puddling on the floor. Whether it was the exhaustion, frantic scrambling or a combination of the two, Peter's ankle turned with a sicking snap before the rest of his body slammed down onto the floor.

Crying out in upset, Peter sat on the sopping floor for several seconds waiting for the immediate pain to pass. He's twisted his ankles in the past and knew that if he gave himself a moment that he would be able to get up no problem, limp to his bedroom to get dry clothes and hope that his healing factor would kick in before he has to leave for the bus stop. Either way, he was going to be late. Just hopefully not late enough for the automated absence call to go through to May. 

It wasn't until several minutes passed and the sharp pain not only failed to abate but began to burn that he decided to investigate. Carefully pulling back the pant leg, he closed his eyes and hissed as the cloth brushed over the area just above his ankle. With his jeans no longer obstructing his veiw he opened one eye and gave it a leery look. The sight that awaited him had bile rise up in his throat as the bones were obviously broken and displaced. _'Dang it. This is a major proble_ m', he thought as he turned back away from the sight.

Still unable to get up the nerve to attempt moving out of the puddle he was seated in, Peter tried not to cry. Not only did it hurt but he was home alone. There was no one there to help him. His phone was still on his bedside table and even if he had it, he wasn't sure who he _would want to call._ He was currently sitting in a puddle on his bathroom floor, with his jeans down at his knees, having broken his leg while ... _putting on his pants._

He needed to think but the pain shooting up his leg was making his brain feel fuzzy and his stomach to turn. Grabbing the towel he tossed to the side, he wadded it up and placed it on the floor so that he could attempt lay back on it. Panting, he started to lean back, the movement ever so slightly jostling his leg. Eventually, he decided that laying down wasn't going to work. All he could do was sit there and then he was crying. Being as he was alone, he allowed the tears to flow freely.

After some time, his healing factor must have started to kick in and the pain wasn't as bad. Having the bones heal out of place was really less than ideal but at least he was able to lay down. The sharp burning pain was still there but if he held his breath and strained through it, he could handle some extremely minimal movement. By that time, he was hungry, having not gotten breakfast, he was exhausted from only getting four hours of sleep and the water he was sitting in had long since grown cold. Despite all of that he managed to fall into a light sleep.

~o~o~o~o~o~

It was just after nine when Tony dragged himself out of bed and into a suit so that he could at least show his face at the board meeting scheduled for that day. The early hour notwithstanding, he still managed to walk into the meeting no less than twenty minutes late. Pepper glared, he smirked and everyone else in the room pretended to not notice, then not ten minutes after he was seated, his phone began to ring. The first time it rang, he silenced it without ever pulling it out of his pocket, mostly because Pepper was glaring again. However, when it was quick to begin ringing again, rolled his eyes and took it out to, if nothing else see who was calling.

When it turned out to be May, he cringed. She'd sort of, kind of left him in charge of her nephew and not answering wasn't going to be a great show of trust. "Sorry, I need to take this.", he uttered as he rose to his feet and walked out of the room, Pepper crossing her arms over her chest and rolling her eyes as he did so.

Sighing, answered the phone and tried to sound more upbeat than he was actually feeling. "Hey there May, what can I do for you?"

"Peter's not at school. He's not answering his phone and he's not with Ned. Please tell me he's with you.", May came back sounding more frustrated than upset at the moment. 

"He's not with me.", Tony sighed out, preparing himself for the lashing that was more than likely to come after his next sentence. "He was out way past his curfew last night. He probably just slept through his alarm." Though he was already preparing to check the suit vitals and locate the kid's phone.

"What do you mean he was out past curfew! I thought you said you'd taken care of that problem and that doesn't explain him not answering his phone. Are you sure he got home last night?--", May rambled in mild distress.

"--May!", Tony shouted to cut her off. "I'm sure he got home. The suit isn't currently active and I tracked his phone to your apartment. So unless he ran off without it, he's there. Look, I'll go check, alright?"

"Thank you, Tony! I've really got to get back into this conference. Have him text me when you find him... and give him an earful for skipping school!", she stressed before ending the call.

_'Great'_ , Tony thought to himself as shot Pepper a quick text to let her know that he'd been tasked with tracking down a teenager who had now gone from purposefully breaking his curfew to playing hooky. It didn't take long to make his way to the Queen's apartment and was soon standing in front of the Parker's door. "Pete! Open it up, kid! I don't have time to play games with you!", he shouted as he knocked. When no answer came he growled to himself and began picking the lock with surprising ease and made a mental note to replace the deadbolt with something a little more... _secure._

Once inside he was again calling the kid's name as he went from room to room. Being a small apartment it didn't take terribly long to find him. "Kid? What on Earth are you doing on the floor?, he asked more out of surprise than anything more than anything else. He'd expected to find the kid asleep in his bed. 

"Mr. Stark?", Peter sleepily slurred out before gasping in pain as he inadvertently moved his leg. 

Realizing that the kid wasn't just messing around, Tony knelt down beside him. "Pete? What did you do?", he asked having not yet noticed the obvious deformity displayed on the boy's right leg. 

Now fully awake and well aware of the pulsing ache in his leg, Peter began to cry all over again, though he was pretty quick to reel it in. "I'm so glad you're here, Mr. Stark! It hurts, no one was here and my phones in my room. I couldn't call anybody and now you're here.", he cried out in relief. He was convinced he was going to be stuck on that floor for eternity. "What time is it?"

"What hurts, Buddy? _What did you do?_ ", Tony asked again. He was starting to worry. The suits report hadn't sent him anything about any injuries but then again, the kid had been messing with it again. Besides, he wasn't even in the suit, he was laying on a wet bathroom floor.

Crying out as he attempted to sit up, Peter pointed towards his ankle. "Gah! Mmm... I fell.", he managed to get out from between his teeth as he finally made it into an upright position.

"Holy... geez, Kiddo. You, just... fell?", Tony gasped out as he leaned in to get a better look. "When did this happen and why didn't I get a report on it? You didn't mess with that part of the code too did you?"

Peter shook his head in the negative and took a few deep breaths as he continued to wait out the throbbing pain that had come from moving around too much. "Not in the suit. I tripped over my pants and slipped on the water.", he said once he felt like he could get the words out.

"You. Spider-man. Slipped in some water while trying to put on a pair of pants.", Tony deadpanned. 

"I know, I know. It's just that I was tired and it was slippery and I couldn't get my balance back _and_ stop myself from sliding at the same time.", Peter explained as his eyes once again started to water. He was really tired of the tears at this point. "Are you going to help me or not?"

Sighing, Tony started mopping up some of the water with a towel so that he could sit beside Peter on the floor. "Of course, I'm going to help you. We're going to have to get you back to the tower, though. That's going to need a doctor."

"...but I heal, Mr. Stark. I just want it to _stop hurting_.", Peter whined. Having someone else there was making him impatient. He just wanted the pain to end and Tony wasn't making that happen fast enough. 

"It needs to be set, Buddy. Look at it.", Tony replied with sympathy as he brushed the boy's hair out of his eyes, running his hand down to his cheek and allowing it to rest there for a moment. 

Peter made a point of looking up at the ceiling before he replying. "I can't, sir. I'll throw up."

"How are you that squeamish?", Tony laughed. "What does Spider-man do when he comes across something like this?"

"It only bothers me when it's me.", Peter defended. The more he looked at it, the more it hurt and the more it hurt, the more his stomach rolled.

"Fair enough. Look, I'm going to call Happy and have him bring us your pain killers. Then we can try to splint it and move you, yeah? It's probably already started healing. It might need surgery, Bud."

Peter nodded his head and gave a shaky smile at the plan. He was glad to hear that he would have his medication soon. "Okay. Am I allowed to eat, Mr. Stark?", he asked hesitantly. He was typically asked to eat with those pills but the man had suggested that he might need surgery and he wasn't sure if that would change anything.

"You haven't had breakfast yet?", Tony asked as he looked down at his watch. It was nearly eleven-thirty. The kid had to have been up since at least six-thirty if he was getting ready for school. On top of that, with May out of town he had no idea if the kid had eaten a sufficient dinner, let alone anything substantial after patrolling for entirely too long.

"No. I was going to get something on the way to school." said with a shrug of his shoulders. 

Looking at his watch once more, Tony asked him when he'd last eaten. Then, when Peter stated that all he'd had was a power bar upon return from patrolling, he cringed. "You need to eat. I'll go grab you something.", he said. He needed to call Bruce, Happy and May anyway... and Pepper. She would want to know what was going on as well. 

With Tony out of the room for a moment, Peter attempted to reposition himself and maybe get his pants all the way up before Happy could get there but it was a lost cause. The second he tried to lift himself up some with his good leg he shouted, followed by multiple apologies as Tony came tearing back into the room looking more than a little pale. "Kid?", he shouted as he darted into the bathroom. "Are you alright? What happened?"

At this point, Peter was full-on sobbing and there was no stopping it. Super-strength, Super-healing... it still hurt and moving it had made it feel at least ten times worse. "I'm sorry. I was trying to fix my pants.", he huffed between sobs. " _It hurts!_ "

"I know, kid. Happy's on his way and I promise he's hurrying. Almost went into cardiac arrest when I told him what was going on. ..and don't worry about the pants, we're going to end up taking those off anyway.", he said. Then at a loss as to how else to help the kid at the moment, he offered the only other thing he knew to offer. "Do you want me to help you lay back down? Would that help?" Unwilling to even try to move in any direction at this point, Peter shook his head in the negative and asked how long until Happy would get there. "twenty minutes, kiddo. Just hang in there for twenty minutes, okay? I'm going to go call your aunt back, talk to Pepper and make you a sandwich or something. I'll be right back. ... sit still, yeah?"

The man returned a short time later with a sandwich and a glass of water in hand. It felt really weird to be eating while sitting on the bathroom floor but it couldn't be helped and the tears continued to fall as he ate. "How much longer?", Peter asked, aware that it sounded petulant but uncaring. He needed the pain to stop. He'd been on the floor for so long that his back was aching, his tail bone was sore and his skin was itching from still being damp.

Looking at his watch, Tony sat back down but this time behind Peter so that the kid could lean back on him. Once the boy had settled his weight comfortably onto his chest he started running his hand through his hair, periodically wiping away the stray tears. "Any minute now, Bud.", Tony soothed but all Peter could do in return was nod his head. Then, as if on cue, Happy came through the front door.

"Tony? Kid? Where are you guys?", Happy called as he came through the front door. He sounded worried.

"Bathroom.", Tony called out just loud enough for the other man to hear. With Peter finally somewhat at ease laying his chest, he didn't want to move. 

When Happy found them he let out a sympathetic hiss. "Geez, kid. You look like a wreck.", he uttered as he sat the bag of supplies down on the counter and reaching out to place a gentle hand on the top of Peter's head.

"I'm sort of stuck here. Do you think you could maybe go ahead and give him two of those pills and grab him another glass of water?", Tony asked when his friend didn't immediately take the initiative to help the kid out. He knew he was probably being somewhat impatient but he'd been watching the kid cry off and on for over an hour now and he didn't think he could take much more of it.

"Alright, Tony, relax. I'm giving it to him, don't worry.", Happy placated as he pulled the large pill bottle out of his jacket pocket and shook two of them into his hand. Then, after handing them over to Tony, he left to refill the water glass the boy had used earlier. Peter sat up from where he'd been reclining against Tony with a whimper the second he was handed that cup and swallowed the pills down, finishing the glass and leaning back on his mentor.

It only took about twenty minutes to the effects of the medication to kick in and Peter was starting to feel lethargic and floaty. "I think they're working now.', Peter uttered quietly as he managed to sit up without near as much pain. 

"Alright", Tony murmured, "Let's get that stabilized so we can get you out of here. I'm going to get up, so don't lean back" When Peter nodded his head in understanding, Tony moved and started cutting away the jeans so that they could get the limb appropriately wrapped. Happy, at this point, had taken Tony's place at Peter's back and he tried to offer much comfort as he could to the kid as he lay against him. Though, it didn't go unnoticed that Peter was still flinching and making small noises of discomfort as Tony worked around the worst of it. "I'm sorry, Buddy. Almost done."

Once the leg had received the minimal amount of first aid they could offer from the bathroom floor, the plan was for Tony and Happy to help Peter to his good leg and support him as they made their way to the car. The problem was that the second Peter was upright he realized something very important. Something like the fact that he hadn't peed since he'd gotten up that morning and now he really needed to do so again. "W-wait.", he hesitantly called out after they had taken a step or two. Both men paused and Tony questioned him about his pain level as a look of concern started taking over his features. They could technically give him another half of a pill but he'd rather not. "It hurts but I'm okay... I, well... it's that...", he started but blushed as his words trailed off.

"Its what, kid?", Happy asked not unkindly but that leg looked awful and he was eager to get the boy to medical care. 

Looking between the two men for a moment, Peter then dropped his gaze to the floor. "I need to pee.", he grumbled under his breath.

"Can you wait until we get back to the tower?", Tony asked hesitantly because it felt like that would be a difficult task without handrails but he already knew the answer. The kid had been on that floor for _hours_. He was probably dying for the toilet.

Wanting nothing more than to be able to say 'yeah, I can.', Peter sighed and made a small noise of frustration. "I need to go now..."

"How are we supposed to do that?", Happy carefully questioned, hoping that whatever the plan was it didn't involve him. 

In the end, they were able to help Peter over to the toilet, make sure he was securely supported by the counter and wait while he was thankfully able to attend to his own needs. Tony stayed nearby in case anything happened and Happy went to track down a robe so the kid wasn't limping through the building in his boxers. Once all of that was done, the two men had him into the car in no time at all. Tony sat in the back, reassuring Peter every time they hit a bump in the road. "I know, Kid. We're getting there. Then you can have _the really good stuff_. I've already got Bruce getting everything ready for you, Happy's going to go get May and Pepper's going to come as soon as she can." Peter only nodded. His leg was still throbbing.

Getting into the medical wing was much easier than getting out of the apartment. There were no stairs and Tony had a nurse waiting for them with a wheelchair. It didn't take terribly long for it to be declared that surgery was necessary and that was the last thing Peter wanted to hear. He trusted Tony, Happy and Bruce but that didn't mean he wasn't anxious about the idea of being sedated. He'd never been under anesthesia before and no one quite knew what to expect. "Peter.", Br. Banner said soothingly. "I have it under control. I know _exactly_ how fast your metabolism is and this dose was calculated just for you. You'll be fine."

"...and I'll be here when you wake up, kid.", Tony added with a smile, patting the boy gently on the shoulder. 

Then Happy smiled from the doorway. "I'm going to go pick your aunt up from her conference. So, hopefully, she'll also be here when you wake up."

"What about you?", Peter asked hesitantly. They had gotten much closer over the last few months and for some reason, having him there was nice too.

"I can be here if you want me to be.", Happy sighed out as if it were a challenging request but really he felt honored and the smile on his face gave that away instantly. 

Peter forced a playful smile onto his face and looked between the two men. "The more the merrier?"

"Alright. Fine.", Happy replied quickly before turning to go. "I've got a plane to fly. See you soon."

It was just about that time that Bruce walked back into the room already prepped to assist in the surgery. "Okay, Peter, time to go.", he whispered, knowing the kid was already nervous.

"Wait!", Peter shouted as they began to roll him away. "Can Mr. Stark come too?" That worked in the movies. You could have someone with you while they put you under. He hoped that was an actual thing...

"Sure.", Bruce said with a smile. He found the bond that had formed between the pair rather endearing and was more than willing to accommodate it. "He can stay with you until you fall asleep." Peter nodded and Tony rested his hand on his shoulder as he walked beside the rolling bed. 

Then once the medication was administered and Peter was right on the verge of going under, Tony leaned over and kissed him right on the forehead. "G'night, kid. See you on the other side.", he whispered.

~o~o~o~o~o~

When Peter opened his eyes some hours later he began to search the room for any familiar face. The lights were low and his eyes were a bit fuzzy so all he could make out was a male figure in the corner of the room. "Mr. Stark?", he asked with a scratchy voice.

"Nope. It's me", Happy said quietly, hoping the kid would be too upset that he wasn't who'd asked for. "He'll be right back. He's talking to Pepper and your aunt."

Glad to have anyone in the room with him at all, Peter squinted his eyes to try and focus on the man who was now crossing the room towards him "Oh. Is it over?"

"Yep. You've got a cast and everything.", Happy supplied as he patted Peter gently on the shoulder. "Though, Bruce thinks it can probably come off in a week or so."

"Can I have some water please, Happy?", Peter rasped, eyeing the cup that was sitting beside him on the table. His throat was so dry he could have sworn it was sticking it's self as he tried to swallow. 

"Sure, Kid.", Happy said, leading Peter to struggle to get himself into a sitting position and reach for the cup all at once. "Hey, hey, hey... Wait, let me help you.", he called grabbing for the remote that would allow him to adjust the head of the bed. 

After allowing Happy to help him into a sitting position Peter could now see the cast adorning his leg and scrunched up his brow. "Red and yellow?", he asked blandly before taking the cup and getting a long drink.

"Yeah, that would be Tony.", Happy laughed lightly. " _I said_ it should be red and blue"

"That... makes sense...", Peter replied between swallows. Then when his throat no longer felt like sandpaper, he looked around the room again. "Can I see him now? ...and May? ...and you said Pepper's here too right?"

"Yeah, she's here. I'll go get them.", Happy said with a smile as he set the now empty cup back into the bedside table. "You need anything else?"

Sighing in contentment, Peter lay back on the pillows. "No, I'm good. Thanks, Happy.", he said with genuine gratitude. 

"You're welcome, Kid. Be right back." , Happy replied before disappearing through the door. 

Only a few moments passed before the door was opening again and Tony was waltzing into the room. "Hey, Kid! How do you feel?", he called out before he'd even gotten both feet in the door.

"Better?", Peter hesitantly replied before straining to see around Tony who was still standing near the doorway. "Where's Aunt May?"

"Behind me, kiddo.", Tony said with a laugh before sidestepping so that both Pepper and May would be in Peter's line of sight. He smiled when the kid's eyes lit up upon seeing his aunt. 

"Hey, sweetie. I--", May said the second her eye's locked onto Peter's. She'd been worrying about him literally all morning. From the time the school called saying that he didn't show up to the moment just before Happy came out to say that their presence had been requested. The entire ordeal had her feeling slightly guilty.

Peter cut her off before she could finish whatever it was she'd wanted to say. He was so happy that she was there, yet extremely guilty that she had to leave work for him and he couldn't help but rush out an apology the second he had the chance. "--I'm sorry you had to leave your conference. You didn't get into trouble did you?"

"No, Peter.", She came back gently. "They understand that this was an emergency."

Then, Peter's gaze shifted to Pepper who was approaching her husband's side. "I'm just glad that Tony found you when he did."

"Hmm. Me too.", Peter hummed in response. He could whole-heartedly agree with that sentiment. After it had happened, all he could think was that he was going to be stuck there on that floor until Tony came by the school to get him and found out that he'd never made it. "Thank you, Mr. Stark."

"Yep. My hero work is never done.", Tony causally quipped as he walked across the room and took a seat at the head of the bed, so that he could rest his hand on Peter's shoulder.

"You know, sweetie...", May began as she too, came towards the head of the bed. "...I talked to Pepper and Tony. Next time I have to go out of town, you're going to stay with them." It had been Pepper's idea and May took no time at all agreeing to it. They all knew that this had been a fluke and that Peter was well old enough to take care of himself for a weekend but none of them were quite ready to let that happen again any time soon.

"That's right, kid.", Tony said, his hand never leaving Peter's shoulder. "Then nothing like this can happen again and I can rest easy knowing that I won't have to call Happy and give him another heart attack."

Having just walked back in the door, Happy smiled from across the room. "I like that plan."

"I also like that plan. I'd rather not have to assist in any kind of heart surgery any time... well, ever, if we can help it.", Bruce said as he followed Happy into the room so that he could give Peter a post-op. once over.

"Yeah... It, it's probably a good idea.", Peter agreed with a weak smile. It had never been his intention to worry anyone. Of course, it had never been his intention to break his leg either. _Then again, if he hadn't been rushing... if he hadn't stayed out past his curfew... "_ I'm so sorry.", he said with tears welling up in his eyes causing every adult in the room to be at his side in seconds. 

Brushing past Peter's apology, because there would be plenty of time to discuss all of that later, they all took turns comforting and consoling him as he continued to quietly cry. Between the still fading anesthesia and the pain medication, he was extremely emotional. 

"You hungry?", Bruce asked once Peter seemed to have his emotions back under control.

"I'm... well, maybe. I don't know.", Peter faltered. The anesthesia was still wearing off and he was definitely on some stronger pain medication. It made him feel woozy. "I think I'm hungry but I feel... off."

"Like sick?", May asked, placing a gentle hand on his cheek.

"No... just, tired maybe.", Peter sighed out as he leaned into May's comforting touch. His eyes were growing heavy again. It had been a long day.

Tony rose to his feet and smiled down at him, running his hand through his hair. "Why don't you take a nap. May, Pepper, and Happy will sit with you and I'll go grab you some food for when you're ready." Peter nodded and almost instantly fell back to sleep feeling immensely loved and cared for, especially when he heard the last words that left his mentor's mouth. "We all love you, Buddy."

_'I love you too.'_ , he thought to himself as he drifted off into a deep sleep knowing that Bruce wouldn't let any harm come to him and they would _all still be there when he woke up._


End file.
